The London Winter Capsule

January in London is often not the city’s best work. It can be drizzly and gloomy, a time for collars propped against the wind and eyes averted down to the pavement—something to endure.  

But there are some moments of joy and pleasure to be found here, too. A quiet pub on a rainy day, the slow rumble of a new year, a glimpse of blue sky through grey… a quiet pub on a rainy evening. 

Designed to bring a bit of levity to the colder months, Creative Director Michael Hill presents a select Drake’s collection inspired by some of his favourite pieces for moving around the city. There are soft-shouldered blazers in seasonal tweeds, Mogador striped ties made by hand in our East London workshop from a textured cotton and silk, and the return of the club collar shirt in colourful narrow stripes, best worn studiously un-ironed for maximum carefree effect.

“I’ve always liked the club collar,” says Michael, sat in a wood-panelled corner of The Red Lion in Mayfair. “We’re revisiting a classic pattern from our shirt factory that has been around for more than 40 years. It has the sort of wash that doesn’t need to necessarily be pressed, it can be casual. I think the red stripe in particular is an underrated part of any man’s wardrobe.”

“Then we have the Mogador tie, which is quite special. It’s woven on a cotton warp with silk in the weft, which gives it a nice dry, raspy feel. It has a St. James club stripe, which feels appropriate for the setting, but again it doesn’t need to be at all fusty."

“And finally we have a pair of blazers that we’ve commissioned specially using a beautiful Yorkshire tweed, in both gun club, and a rich herringbone windowpane check. Put together they’re the sort of items that I instinctively reach for during the winter. Warm, resolute and versatile, with plenty of texture and colour. Perfect for a London winter.” 

THE LONDON WINTER CAPSULE